Para Archery
The competition format for the Paralympic Games is identical to that of the Olympic Games for the sport of archery. Paralympic archery includes both wheelchair and ambulatory classes, as well as compound and recurve divisions. Para archery is open to athletes with physical impairments.
Coordination Impairments
Athletes with a Coordination Impairment have one or more of the following three movement disorders that adversely affects the ability to voluntarily produce a full range of skilled movement fluidly, rapidly, and accurately:
- Hypertonia/Spasticity: an increase in muscle tension that may be velocity-dependent and/or a reduced ability of a muscle to stretch.
- Motor Ataxia: limited precision in direction and velocity of voluntary movement.
- Dyskinesia (Athetosis, Dystonia, Chorea): involuntary movements that interfere with voluntary movements.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions that can lead to coordination impairments include Cerebral Palsy, Traumatic Brain Injury, Stroke, and Multiple Sclerosis.
Impaired Muscle Power
Athletes with Impaired Muscle Power have a reduced (or no) ability to contract their muscles to generate force that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting the structure and function of the central or peripheral nervous system or the muscles.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired muscle power include: spinal cord injuries, muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome, and spina bifida.
Impaired Passive Range of Motion
Athletes with Impaired Passive Range of Movement have a reduced ability for a joint to be passively moved that is consistent with an Underlying Health Condition affecting a structure of bones, joints, connective tissue, or soft tissues.
Examples of Underlying Health Conditions leading to impaired passive range of motion include: arthrogryposis and contracture resulting from chronic joint immobilization or trauma affecting a joint.
Limb Deficiency and/or Limb Length Difference
Athletes with Limb Deficiency or Limb Length Difference have a total or partial absence of a limb or anatomically irregular limb dimensions that are consistent with an Underlying Health Condition resulting from trauma (traumatic amputation), illness (example: amputation due to bone cancer), or congenital causes affecting the bones and/or joints (example: dysmelia).
This impairment group can be further divided into the following sub-categories:
- Limb deficiency
- Leg length difference and/or
- Arm length difference
Entering The Pathway
Adaptive Archery Resources, opens in a new tabThe easiest way to get started in Para archery is join a USA Archery club near you. Because acquiring high quality bows and arrows can be a barrier to the sport's entry, many USA Archery clubs will offer rental gear.
USA Archery provides a variety of resources about getting started in Para archery including Adaptive archery's starter manual, video series, and more.
Equipment
At minimum, athletes will need the following equipment to compete in Para archery:
- Compound or recurve bow, and arrows
- Wheelchair that is 1.25 meters (49") or shorter in length (as applicable)
Additional equipment for training, accuracy, and comfort can include:
- Sights and stabilizers
Athlete Questionnaire
Para Eligible Athlete Questionnaire, opens in a new tabInterested athletes can submit interest through the Para Eligible Athlete Questionnaire.
Once completed, a representative from our Paralympic Pathway team will connect athletes to the appropriate resources.
USA Archery offers national classification at various events throughout the year. See below for how to get classified in Para archery as well as the different classification groups.
Step 1
To secure a national physical impairment classification appointment an athlete needs to register for a U.S. Para Archery event offering a classification panel. View Events offering National Classification.
Athletes will need to fill out a Para Archery National Classification Medical Intake Form and submit it to para@usarchery.org at least 30 days prior to the event start date.
Step 2
Once the forms are submitted, they will be sent to the event's classifiers to confirm the athlete has an eligible Underlying Health Condition and eligible impairment.
Step 3
Once the athlete is confirmed to have an eligible Underlying Health Condition and eligible impairment, athletes will be given a classification appointment.
Step 4
During the classification appointment, the athlete will be evaluated on range of movement, strength, flexibility, and balance to determine if they meet the minimum impairment criteria for the sport as defined by World Archery.
Athletes may be assigned a classification after tests are completed.
PI1 Class
- Athletes in the PI1 experience more severe physical impairments typically affecting both lower limbs, the torso, and at least one upper limb.
- Athletes in the PI1 class may use the following adaptive equipment: wheelchair, strapping, leg strap, adaptive release, bow bandage, bow arm aid, and assistant.
- PI1 athletes compete exclusively in the W1 division and may use either a recurve or compound bow.
PI2 Class
- Athletes in the PI2 class experience less severe physical impairments that impact either the upper body or lower body, or only one side of the body.
- Athletes in the PI2 class can utilize the following adaptive equipment: wheelchair, stool, strapping, leg strap, adaptive release, bow bandage, bow arm aid and assistant.
- Athletes in this class may compete in the para recurve open or para compound open divisions.
Paralympic archery competitions are broken down into the following two divisions, each with unique scoring for elimination rounds. Prior to the elimination round, there is a qualification round where archers shoot 72 arrows which will determine their ranking for the elimination rounds.
Recurve Division
- Recurve archers are scored on a set system in match play.
- Archers will shoot three arrows at a time.
- Sets are scored two points for a win, one for a tie, and zero for a loss.
- In individual competitions, the first to six set points wins the match. In team competitions, the first team to five set points win the match.
Compound Division and W1 Archers
- Compound and W1 Archers use set point scoring.
- Archers will shoot five rounds of three arrows, for 15 total.
- A tie after 15 arrows results in a single arrow shoot off.
USA Archery Club Locator
USA Archery Club Locator, opens in a new tabFind a USA Archery club near you to begin your journey!
Find an Event
Find an Event, opens in a new tabFind a USA Archery event near you at the local, state, and national level.
Progression and Selection Procedures
Para USAT Selection Procedures, opens in a new tabContinue to progress through the pathway by training, competing, and reaching key performance standards. View the US Para Archery Team selection procedures to learn more about high performance in Para archery.